Photos courtesy of Greg Burke (theluxuryvacationguide.com) Norway’s fjords are carved into legend. Steep mountains dive deep into crystal-clear glacial green waters, waterfalls plummet from snowcapped summits even in summer, when days are eternal — often 23 hours of light. The best way to experience Norway’s fjords is by water. You can board a ferry or Read More
Boating on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is the third largest of the Great Lakes, and the only Great Lake located entirely in the United States. Lake Michigan’s name is derived from the Ojibwa tribe word mishigami, which means “large lake.” The French entrepreneur and woodsman Jean Nicolet was the first European to explore Lake Michigan in 1634. Since that Read More
The Trifecta in the Maldives
Kia Koropp, along with her husband John, and two children Braca, 6 and Ayla, 4, began cruising around the world on their 50-foot sailboat, Atea, in 2011. This is an excerpt from their adventures in the Maldives, an island chain located in South Asia on the Indian Ocean. After two months exploring the glorious Maldives, Read More
Cruising the Islands of The Bahamas
Vacationing to foreign countries is exciting, but traveling to another country aboard your own boat is an adventure and accomplishment beyond compare. Fortunately for boaters in the U.S. and Canada, the Bahamas gives us a beautiful island country we can easily visit with a little careful planning. The Bahamas is one of the largest island Read More
Our Houseboat Adventure
If you live in the Midwest and you want to experience life on the water, you don’t have to go very far. From small rivers to the Great Lakes, there are options for every kind of boater and skill set. In June of 2017, when we decided to remodel our house in Chicago, my family Read More
Boating on the West Coast of Florida
The West Coast of Florida stretches 550 nautical miles from Cape Sable, at the southern tip of the Everglades, to Perdido Key, which is the western border of the state’s panhandle. Florida’s west coast, including the Panhandle, offers boaters amazing cruising opportunities. Except for the open water passage across the Big Bend, the Gulf Intracoastal Read More
ICW Southbound: Virginia to Florida
The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) is a continuous and mostly protected navigable route from Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida. Originally conceived in 1802 for commercial use, today it is primarily used by recreational vessels. However, light-draft commercial vessels, along with small tugs pulling barges, will make use of the AICW to avoid exposed open-ocean passages. Read More
A Journey Up The Coast: Baltimore to Boston
In July, my family rolled four wheelbarrows filled with bedding, frozen meals, and enough clothing to last two and a half weeks, down the docks of Harbor East Marina in Baltimore, Md. When my dad started planning this trip, my first thought was “no thanks.” I was starting college next fall and wanted to spend Read More
Finally! A Chance to Travel to Havana, Cuba
Now that Americans can legally travel to Cuba by boat, we jumped at the opportunity to organize a voyage to the island for more than 100 of our fellow Ocean Reef Yacht Club members. Our flotilla of 17 boats began at the Stock Island Marina Village in Key West, where the staff and facilities are Read More
Cruising The Straits of Mackinac
A spectacular cruising destination and a dream trip for many Great Lakes boaters, the journey to the Straits of Mackinac is a vacation of a lifetime! Boaters cruise north across Lake Huron, enter the Straits of Mackinac and then enter the adjoining Lake Michigan. As they pass from one Great Lake to another, the largest Read More